8 Windows 8 Apps Under $25

These eight budget-friendly Windows 8 business apps provide time management, voice-to-text dictation, aggregate search and more, for a grand total of $24.42.

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The PDF is one of the file types I interact with frequently for work alongside word processing documents, spreadsheets, audio, video and images. This app lets you mark up PDFs via touch or mouse. Let the page bleed with red ink: you can highlight, chicken-scratch and strike-through to your heart's content. On my touchscreen ultrabook I found the experience a bit awkward. It helps to have a light touch when making marks and the interface and responsiveness could use some work. I imagine the experience improves on the Surface Pro or other Windows 8 tablets. Nonetheless, for the price this app was a no-brainer for me to make my touchscreen more usable.

Our data shows these innovators using digital technology in two key areas: providing better products and cutting costs. Almost half of them expect to introduce a new IT-led product this year, and 46% are using technology to make business processes more efficient.

Worries about subpar networks tanking unified communications programs could be valid: Thirty-one percent of respondents have rolled capabilities out to less than 10% of users vs. 21% delivering UC to 76% or more. Is low uptake a result of strained infrastructures delivering poor performance?